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V. TURATI. PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 586,465. Patented July 13,1897.

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V. TURATI.

PRINTING MAGHINE.

No. 586,465. Patented July 13, 1897.

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V. TURATI.

PRINTING MACHINE.

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Patented July 13, 1897.

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Patented July 13, 1897.

V. TURATI.

PRINTING MACHINE.

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V TURATI PRINTING MACHINE.

Patented July 13,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VITTORIO TURAT I, OF MILAN, ITALY.

PRINTING- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,465, dated July 13, 1897.

Application filed September 5, 1896. Serial llo-605,017. (No model.)

To @Il whom. it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, VITTORIO TURATI, of Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Printing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to use the same, reference being had to the 'accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

This invention relates to printingmachines, and more especially to color-printing machines for use in printing in a number of different colors simultaneously at each reciprocation of the table or bed of the machine.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for obtaining cleaner and more quickly drying impressions from the colors than has been possible heretofore and for taking a greater number of such impressions, the said improved means permitting of the colors being' employed in a less soft state than heretofore, or, in other words, making it possible to obtain clean impressions even from comparatively hard colors.

My invention therefore consists in the arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved color-printing machine, one end portion of the frame being partly broken away and other parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line t z ly of Fig. l, some of the parts omitted in Fig. l being here shown. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line u 'r w r s of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa front elevation of the transferring and heating cylinders and of part of the wiping mechanism, one-half of the heating-cylinder being shown in section. Figs. at and 4b are an end view and a transverse section, respectively, of some of the cylinders shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the transmission of movement from the transferring-cylinder to the cylinder of the moistening mechanism. Fig. 6 shows the moistening mechanism partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig. t5 is a transverse section of the moistening-cylinder shown in longitudinal section in table or bed, but it has no inking mechanism.

To the above elements are added, according to my present invention, a moistening-cylinder, designated in the drawings by W and mounted at that end of the machine which is farthest removed from the impression-cylinder U, a transferring-cylinder A., mounted intermediate the said moistening-cylinder and impression-cylinder, and a heating and wiping cylinder B, journaled immediately above the transferrin g-cylind er A in movable bearings.

L is the printing table or bed, which is reciprocated in the well-known manner by the usual carriage. The three first-named cylinders-that is to say, the impression, moistening, and transferring cylinders-are arranged immediately above the line of travel of the said table or bed, so that during the reciprocations of the latter the several cylinders will in consecutive order act upon the surface of the table or bed L, reciprocated below them bythe movements of the carriage, the impression and transferring cylinders acting upon the said surface by direct contact therewith, whereas the moistening-cylinder does not come into direct contact with the 4said surface, but is slightly removed therefrom, so as to act thereon only indirectly, as Willhereinafterbe morefullydescribed. One portion of this surface consists of the colors, which are placed on the said table or bed in the usual manner and from which the color impressions are made, and this portion is designated in the drawings by the letter g. The other portion of the said surface consists of a stone or other suitable plate 7L, upon which the said impressions are to be transferred-by the transferring -cylinder A, to be subsequently again transferred from the said plate or imprinted upon the paper carried by the impression-cylinder U, all in a manner to be more fully hereinafter described.

The function of the moistening-cylinder IOO consists in moistening and at the same time heating the hard colors each time the table or bed in starting in its movement toward the impression-cylinder end of the machine and in returning intol its original position passes immediately below but slightly removed from the moistening-cylinder, the object being to thereby render the colors softer, so that the impressions Jtherefrom may be more readily taken off' by the transferringcylinder. To this end the moistening-cylinder is covered with felt and mounted below a reservoir from which' a suitable liquid solvent may be made to liow onto the" said felt covering, to be there evaporated by the heat which is imparted to the moistening-cylinder by means of steam admitted into the interior of the said cylinder through its hollow journais. The vapors thus emanating from the said cylinder in the narrow space between the latter and the surface of colors will moisten and slightly soften the surface ofthe Ycolors on the table or bed.

Upon the table or bed passing under the transferring-cylinder in the further movement of the carriage toward the impressioncylinder the said transferring-cylinder will other platewill on its part pass under the transferring-cylinder and will receive from it the same impression which the transferringcylinder previously received from the colors, and when the carriage, after having in the meantime completed its return movement and having started on its next movement toward the impression-cylinder, again passes under the transferring-cylinder the said stone or other plate' will receive a second impression, exactly registering with the iirst one, from the transferring-eylinder. On the carriage continuing its movement and passing, with that portion of its table or bed which contains the said plate, under the impressioncylinder the latter, with a sheet of paper thereon, will roll over the surface of the said plate, thus causing the impression on the latter to be imprinted on the paper carried by the impression-cylinder. The sheet of paper after having received the impression as described is delivered on a delivery-table in the usual manner and a fresh sheet is fed to the impression cylinder. The carriage in the meantime returns to the other end of the machine and the operations already described are repeated.

The heating and wiping cylinder, which, as

already stated, is mounted above the transferring-cylinder in movable bearings, is alternately moved into contact with and withdrawn from the transferring-cylinder. It is heated by means of steam introduced at its hollow journals and thereby heats the transferring-cylinder, so as to better adapt the latter for taking on the color-impression. A wiping-strip is made to pass over part of the peripheral surface of the heating and wiping cylinder between the latter and the transferring-cylinder, so that every time when the former cylinder is moved into contact with the last-named cylinder the wiping-strip will remove therefrom the surplus color left thereon by the stone or other plate.

G is the framing of the machine, and G is a lateral frame or base provided with standards B', having bearings for the main or driv ing shaft O. Mounted .on the latter are the fly-wheel Sch and the driving-pinion N, the

latter meshing with a gear O on the crank' shaft M.

' K is a crank provided on the end of thev shaft M and having pivoted to it one end of a connecting-rod St, the other end of the latter being fulcrumed on the rear axle of the usual carriage. lThe said carriage consists substantially of the two lateral bars T (best shown in Fig. l) and of three axles having the wheels P. Upon the driving-shaft Cbeing rotated, rotary movement is imparted through the pinions N and O to the crankshaft M, and the latter, through its crank K and the connecting-rod St, reciprocates the carriage. To provide against the said carriage sliding while being thus reciprocated, its wheels P are formed on one side with peripheral rack portions, which engage with and travel on corresponding rack-bars i, secured to the machine-framing G below. The said peripheral rack portions also mesh with other rack-bars t", provided above on the lower side of the table or bed L, the latter being thus supported on the said peripheral rack portions of the carriage-wheels and caused to reciprocate in accordance with the direction in which the said wheels are rotated during the reciproeations of the carriage.

The table or bed L on its part transmits rotary movement to the impression-cylinder U by means of lateral rack-bars u on the table or bed engaging with a peripheral rack p0rtion of the said impression-cylinder, as best shown in Figs. l and 2. Another rack-bar u', provided on one side of the said table or bed L, as shown in Fig. 2, meshes with a pinion r, rigid on the one end portion of the transferring-cylinder A, thus causing the latter to be rotated at such periods of the recipro'eations of the table or bed when the saidrackbar u is in engagement with the said pinion fu.

w' are standards erected on the base portion of the framing G and serving as guides for the table or bed L.

The transferring-cylinder A is mounted in bearings in the upper side portions of the framing G, as shown in Fig. l, and has mounted above it in movable bearings the heating and wiping cylinder B, into which steam may be admitted through a pipe r', entering one of the hollow journals, as best shown in Fig. 4. Provision is made for alternately lifting and lowering the said cylinder B, and thus removing the same from, and bringing it in contactwith,thetransferring-cylinderA. To this end the said heating and wiping cylinder is journaled in bearings provided in the free ends of two levers or arms l, rigid on the rockshaft f. Means are provided fortransmitting movement to the said levers or arms. Mounted on the main shaft M of the machine is the cam E, having the two cam portions m n 0 andan p o, as best shown in Fig. l. These cam portions act upon a roller r, provided on the free end of a pivoted lever a, and the movements thus imparted to the latter are, by means of a rod d, lever b, and rod e, transmitted to the said levers or arms Z. Thus when the roller r rides the lower cam portion m p o the free ends of the levers or arms Z will be in their lower position, whereas when the said roller rides the higher cam portion on n o the free ends of the said levers or arms Z will be in their elevated position.

Fig. 4 ofthe drawings shows but one of the levers orarms Z-that is to say, the one mounted on the left-hand end of the rock-shaft f; but it will be understood that the right-hand end of the said rock-shaft has rigidly mounted thereon a similar lever-arm carryin g the other bearing of the heating and wiping cylinder B, so that the two levers or arms will always move together in lifting or lowering the said cylinder. Vhen the latter is in its lower position, as above described, it will be in contact with, or bear upon, the transferring-cylinder and will, by means of a wiping-strip passing around a portion of the cylinder B, as hereinafter to be described, wipe the surplus color off the transferring-cylinder, whereas when the cylinder B is in its elevated position it will be removed from the transferring-cylinder and the wiping mechanism will be out of action. The said heating and wiping cylinder is preferably composed of a tube B, covered on the outside with a layer of felt and having its ends closed by means of turned head-pieces b', through each of which passes a pipe fl", the latter branching off within the cylinder B in a number of connected smaller pipes r2, r3, and r4, as shown. These smaller pipes are provided at suitable distances apart with small apertures o', so arranged that the apertures on the one branch pipe will begin where those on the other cease. Thus when steam is admitted through the pipes 0" the same will escape into the hollow cylinder through the apertures o' and will evenly heat the peripheral portions of the said cylinder, and the latter in its turn will heat the transferring-cylinder A and the colors thereon.

Movement is imparted to the heating and wiping cylinder B from the transferring-cylinder A by means of the pinions zand z when t-he cylinders A and B are `in contact with each other, while such transmission of movement ceases when the said pinions are lifted out of engagement upon the cylinder B being raised in the manner hereinbefore described.

The wiping mechanism is constructed and arranged as follows: R isV a delivery-roller, from which the wiping-strip is delivered to the receiving-roller R', being carried over the small guide-roller s, thence around the heating and wiping cylinder B and over another guide-roller w to the receiving-roller R. At a suitable distance below the guide-roller w is journaled a felt-covered roller s', bearing against the wiping-strip, and thereby acting to wipe off the color collected thereon.

The winding up of the wiping-strip onto the receiving-roller R is eected by movement transmitted from a pulley S,;mounted on an extension of the axis of the impressioncylinder U, by means of a belt running over a friction-pulley F and by means of a crossed belt running over a pulley mounted on the same shaft as the friction-pulley F, the said crossed belt also running over a pulley S', mounted on a journal extension of the receiving-roller R. The obj ect of the said friction-pulley F is to provide for the varying circumferential speed of the roller R due to the increase of diameter of the wiping-strip accumulating thereon. It will of course be understood that the heating and wiping cylinder B rests on the transferring-cylinder A and brings the wiping-strip into contact with the same only during that part of the forward movement of the table or bed toward the impression-cylinder when part of the stone or plate h will already have passed below the said transferring-cylinder and until the surface of colors g on its part will already have partly passed below the said `"transferringcylinder.

The moistening-cylinder WV is rotated from the transferring-cylinder A by means Vof a chain passing over sprocket-wheels provided on the axes of the said two cylinders, as shown in Fig. 5.

The moistening device (best shown in Fig. 6) is constructed substantially as follows: H is a receptacle provided with a cover or lid and preferably mounted in a Wooden frame, such as R2, the said receptacle being adapted to be filled with a suitable liquid solvent. Below the said receptacle and at a suitable distance above the surfaceof colors on the table or bed reciprocated thereunder is journaled in suitable bearings the moisteningcylinder W. The latter is coveredwith felt and otherwise constructed in a similar manner, as already described with reference to IOO the heating and wiping cylinder, being likewise provided with steam-inlet and distributin'g. pipes, as shown in Figs. 6 and 6, connected with a suitable source of steam-supply. (Not shown in the drawings.)

Below the perforated bottom D of the receptacle H, and preferably arranged to slide in' a recessed guide therein, is a plate E', having perforations l', adapted in a' certain position of the said sliding plate to register with the corresponding perforations of the said bottom D. A threaded end extension of the said sliding plate passes through a suitable guide and is there provided with a nut fm', which admits of an axial adjustment of the said sliding plate E' relatively to the bottom D, so that the flow of the liquid solvent through the perforations l may thus be regulated as desired. The solvent continuously escaping from the said perforations is discharged in small drops on the felt covering of the heated moistening-cylinder W and is there evaporated, the vapors thus created being communicated to the surface of colors and thereby caused to moisten and slightly dissolve the latter.

The general operation of the machine is as follows: W'hile the impression-cylinder U remains stationary and during the time when a sheet of paper is presented to the same the printing table or bed L, with the surface of colors g and the stone or other plate h thereon, moves from the position I I atV the rear end of the machine, Fig. 7 into the position I at the front end thereof. During this movement the transferring-cylinder A will roll over the surface of colors g and will thereby take off a first impression of colors corresponding to the entire picture or design, duc. to be reproduced. Upon the movement of the table or bed being continued the said transferring-cylinder A will roll over the su rface` of the stone or other plate h and will thereby transfer onto the said stone or plate the color-impression previously taken olf from the colors g. The table or bed L will now have arrived in the position I and will proceed to return into the position I I. At the same time the impression-cylinder U, with the sheet of paper fed thereto, will rotate in the direction of the arrow. The stone or plate 7L will first again pass below the transferringcylinder A and will receive from the same the remainder of any color which may have been left thereon. It will then pass under the impression -cylinder and transfer the color-impression onto the sheet of paper, whereupon the latter will, in the usual and well-known manner, be seized by the delivery mechanism and delivered at the end of the machine.

The machine above described possesses particular utility when employed for printing from blocks of colors mounted on the table or bed of the machine in the well-known manner generally employed in polychromatic or very clean impressions.

mosaic printing by reason of the fact that in the machine described the moistening of the surface of colors is not eiected by direct contact therewith of the means for moistening and by applying the solvent to the colors in a liquid state, but that the moistening-cylinder always remains at a distance from the surface of colors and that the moistening is effected by heat-vapors of solvent emanating from the moistening-cylinder in the space between the latter and thesurface of colors. This results in a more uniform and at the same time slighter but more elflcient meistening of the colors, so that rather hard colors may be employed to advantage and will give At the same time the wear of the colors is much less, so that they will last longer and give a larger number of impressions than could be obtained heretofore.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. In a color-printing machine the combination, with an impression-cylinder and a. tn-

thereto, ofa moistening-cylinder mounted above the line of movement of the said table or bed, means for feedinga liquid to the said moistening-cylinder, means for heating the latter to evaporate the said liquid, a transsaid inoistening and impression cylinders, n. wipingcylinder mounted above the said wiping-strip between the said wiping and transferring cylinders and means for intermittently moving the said wiping-cylinder and wiping-strip into and out of contact with the said transferring-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a color-printing machine the combination, with'an impression-cylinder and a table or bed adapted to reciprocate relatively thereto, of a moistening-cylinder mounted above the line of movement of the said table or bed, means for feeding a liquid to the said moistening-cylinder, means for heating the latter to evaporate the said liquid, a transferring-cylinder mounted intermediate the said moistening and impression cylinders, a wiping-cylinder mounted above the said transferring-cylinder, means for heating the said wiping-cylinder, means for guiding a wipingstrip between the said wiping and transferring cylinders and means for intermittently moving the said wiping-cylinder and wipingstrip into and out of contact with the said transferring-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a color-printing machine the combination, with a table or bed adapted to reciprocate relatively to the impression-cylinder and to support a surface of colors, a moistening-cylinder, mounted above theline of movement of, and out of contact with, the said table or bed adapted to reciprocate relatively ferring-cylinder mounted intermediate the transferring-cylinder means for guiding a ble or bed, means for feeding a liquid to the said moistening-cylinder and means for heating the latter to evaporate the said liquid in the intervening space between the said moistening-cylinder and a surface of colors to be mounted on the said table or bed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l. In a color-printing machine the combination, with a reciprocating table or bed, adapted to support a surface of colors and a stone or other plate as described, of a device as described for moistening the colors without coming into contact with them and mounted above the line of movement of the said table or bed, and a transferring-cylinder mounted above the line of movement of the lsaid table or bed so as to roll alternatelyT over the surface of colors and the stone or otherplate during the reciprocations of the said table or bed, provided with a wiping mechanism intermittently brought in Contact with the said transferringcylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In a color-printing machine a moistening device consistin g of the receptacle H, provided with adjustable discharge-openings, and the rotatable hollow cylinder Vj ournaled belovT the said receptacle, the said cylinder being provided with an absorbent outer surface to receive a liquid discharged from the disch( rge-openin gs in the said receptacle and with means for heating the said cylinder and distributing the heat therein to evaporate the liquid, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6,. In a color-printing machine the transferring-cylinder A and the heating and wiping cylinder B mounted above the same in movable bearings to admit of being moved into and out of contact with the said transferring-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a color-printing machine the combination, with a reciprocating table or bed, adapted to support a surface of colors and a stone or other plate as described, and with a moistening device mounted above the line of` IVitnesses:

WV. LAcRoITr, EMILIO ALFIERI. 

